People Past and Present in the world of Early Copper

The "Boyz of '94" was established in May 2001 by EAC members Dan Trollan, Bim Gander, Jon Warshawsky, and Chuck Heck. They had been examining Sheldon variety 59 when they realized that each of their coins was of a different die state. They decided then and there to form the Boyz of '94 subgroup.
The die state study of S-59 that led to the formation of the Boyz of '94
At the 2007 EAC convention a dozen S-37's, the rarest 1794, were reunited and displayed together.
Custodians of the S-37's at EAC 2007. Back row: Dan Trollan, Dan Holmes, Al Boka, Robert Hoge (of the ANS), Scott Barrett, Walt Husak, Chuck Heck. Front row: Ralph Rucker, Bruce Reinoehl, Michael Lawrence, Bim Gander
EAC 2026 in Charlotte: Matt Misewicz, Lucas Baldridge, Geney Trollan, Dan Rice, Dan Trollan, Glenn McCawley
Greg Hannigan, Walt Husak, and Larry Schafer at EAC 2022 in St. Louis

1794 Whist match in Cocoa Beach, Florida in 1979. Participants are, left to right: Tom Morley (red jacket)-Myles Gerson (cigarette)-Del Bland (center)-Denis Loring (examining coin) with George Ewing hidden behind him.

1794 Whist match in Cocoa Beach, Florida in 1979. Participants are, left to right: Denis Loring-Tom Chalkley (glasses)-John W. Adams (red shirt)-Pete Smith (blue shirt)-Ned Bush (white shirt)-Bill Raymond (sweater) and Tom Morley.

William Strickland, 6th Baronet of Boynton (1753-1834) by John Partridge, 1828. Strickland brought back to England a collection of 1794 cents from his trip to America in 1794-1795. The coins would remain in his family until their sale as the Lord St. Oswald collecton at Christie's in 1964.
William Strickland arrived at Mount Vernon on April 16,1795 and made this drawing of Washington's home. A month later on May 14 he was visiting Thomas Jefferson at Monticello.There is a high probabiltiy the coins Strickland collected while traveling the new country were brought with him when he met with America's founding fathers.
One of three S-67 cents in the Lord St. Oswald collection. Sheldon 67 through 72 are known as the Head of 95 varieties and have a more flat affect and less delicate look overall. Maris called the S-67 the Roman Plica, seeing in it the face of Roman austerity. Ten of the Lord St. Oswald cents were of S-67, S-69, S-70, and S-71. They were all minted in December 1794, the same time records show William Strickland was in Philadelphia.
Dr. Edward Maris, author of Varieties of the Copper Issues of the United States Mint in the year 1794 (1869). The "Quaker Physician's" ancestors, George and Alice Maris, came to America in 1683 to escape religious persecution in England.
Maris issued a second edition of Varieties of the Copper Issues of the United States Mint in the Year 1794 in 1870. The second edition added four new varieties bringing the total to forty-three. Maris gave nicknames to many of the varieties. Some of the names were obvious while others were more esoteric, calling upon the fields of mythology and medicine.
Maris's S-17a, the discovery coin for the variety. Named the Tilted 4 by Maris, he cataloged it as variety #4 in his numbering system.
Henry Chapman. Together with his brother Samuel, the Chapman brothers revolutionized the coin business starting in 1878 with their deluxe, large size auction catalogues which in some cases included photos. Here Henry is seen at the auction of George H. Earle Jr. in June 1912.
The famous Starred Reverse. The Sheldon 48 variety has 94 tiny stars between and underneath the denticles on the reverse. The variety was discovered by Henry Chapman in 1876; he was examining a box of large cents when he exclaimed "Here is a die with minute stars around the reverse!" The coin shown above is the discovery coin.
Homer Kennedy Downing. Just weeks before his untimely death in 1951, he inked the H and D in HUNDRED on the edge of his cents in yellow ink. These cents are highly sought after by collectors today.
A Homer Downing 1794 with the H and D in HUNDRED inked in yellow. This was Downing's S-54 variety.

Some "Boyz of 1794" at the Manassas [VA] battlefield-April 2010. l. to r. Chuck Heck, Nathan Markowitz, Mark Borckardt, Tory Denman (red) Jim Neiswinter, Bim Gander (tan jacket), Scott Barrett (yellow shirt), Dan Trollan (blackcap), Steve Ellsworth (center beige jacket), Al Boka, Terry Denman, Sam Foose, Walt Husak

First EAC Convention (gathering), New York City, Dec. 28, 1967

Left to right: Gordon Wrubel, Dorothy Paschal, Ed Janis (Pres. NY Numismatic Society) Dr. William Sheldon